Read a book that relates to growing plants, like "Mystery Vine" or "Jack and the Beanstalk." After reading the story, talk to the children about how things grow, then plant a flower or garden plant that can be successfully grown in a window sill. Fill a small disposable cup or terracotta pot with potting soil and push a seed or seeds no more than 1/4-inch below the surface. Cover the pot with plastic wrap to create a small greenhouse. Set the cup in a window sill where it receives plenty of sunlight. Remove the plastic when the second set of leaves have emerged from the plant. The child can then care for and watch the plant's growth.
Read a book with your child that has a dinosaur theme, like one of the "How does a Dinosaur ..." series by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, or " Can I have a Stegosaurus Mom? Can I? Please?" by Lois Grambling. After reading the story, talk about how we know dinosaurs were real, and the fossil record that tells us about different kinds of dinosaurs. After talking about the fossil record, help your child make a fossil of his own from glue and modeling clay. Give the child a choice between a small bone, a tree branch or a seashell. Press the small object into the modeling clay to make a shallow but clear impression. Fill the impression with glue and set it aside to dry, the glue forms the "fossil" within the clay. When the glue has dried completely, peel it away from the modeling clay.
Read a book about sailing across the ocean, and exploring new worlds like "Explorer: A Daring Guide for Young Adventurers" by Henry Hardcastle or "You Wouldn't Want to Sail With Christopher Columbus: Uncharted Waters You'd Rather Not Cross" by Fiona McDonald, David Antram and David Salariyer. Talk with your child about why explorers traveled, focusing on the fact that many of them were looking for treasure. Help your child make a treasure map or send them on a treasure hunt with a map you have made.
Help your child set a reading goal, then use a paper-chain to track progress toward that goal. Cut strips of paper using your child's two favorite colors. Each time your child reads a book alone, add a link of one color, and every time you read a book together, or you read a book to your child, add a link of the other color. Challenge your child to make a chain long enough to go across a room, around the table, around the house, or to some other measurement of your choice.